Director: Michael Mann
Starring: Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Marion Cotillard
SYNOPSIS
The true story of the notorious Great Depression bank robber John Dillinger, and the attempts to catch him by FBI agent Melvin Purvis.
REVIEW
Maybe it's because I'm neither a big Michael Mann fan nor opposed to digital filming techniques, but I don't see what the fuss was about with this movie.
On the one hand, people were lauding it as a new masterpiece of crime cinema, ushering in a new level of realism to a stale genre and injecting new life into an era often seen as staid and stale on screen. On the other hand, there were those who attacked Mann's decision to use ultra-crisp HD photography and modern movie-making techniques as being at odds with the action on screen.
All in all, I think both of these opinions are misplaced. The visual style and music generally worked for me (although I have to admit I saw it in standard definition). It's not bad, and it certainly didn't seem to anachronistic to my mind. However, it's no masterpiece. It's a decent enough thriller with many of the same tropes used by Mann in his earlier movies - especially Heat. The cast is fine though unspectacular. the supporting cast is great, but not given a great deal to do. The period detail is fascinating but not noticeable after a while. The whole movie is... well, OK.
7 / 10
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